Chapter 287: I Am the Chosen One

Ansu noticed that Gulzan's movements were clearly beginning to falter.

He was panicking.

After all, Leon was the Chosen One of this region, the source where countless powers of faith converged.

At this moment, because of Leon's unwavering conviction, the divine power he inadvertently channeled was incredibly pure, completely countering Gulzan's black magic.

In an instant, Leon's sword light, wreathed in divine power, slashed down and struck Gulzan's body directly.

Gulzan barely managed to transform into black mist to evade the fatal blow before re-forming on the other side.

Although his face remained blurred, Ansu could sense his current state of panic.

“Stop! Stop right now!”

Gulzan's voice transmitted into the depths of Leon's heart once more, completely devoid of his previous calm and composure.

“You've already fallen into a trap! That fellow Morris is trying to drive a wedge between us!”

“Haven't you noticed? I haven't truly attacked you from the very beginning! We're on the same side!!”

“Trying to bewitch me again!” Leon sneered, pressing forward step by step.

Ansu and Leon coordinated with perfect chemistry. Leon pinned him down with frontal assaults while Ansu unleashed a barrage of attacks from the flank, tossing out high-tier magic scrolls as if they cost nothing.

Various spells with immense destructive power bombarded him in rotation. Gulzan was forced back again and again, his heart filled with both shock and rage.

“How are there still more?!”

He truly couldn't understand where this damned brat had gotten all these things. It was as if they were inexhaustible!

Just then, Leon keenly sensed that Gulzan's mana fluctuations had weakened significantly; the prolonged, fierce battle had clearly exhausted him.

“Now's the time! Go!”

Leon seized the opportunity and was the first to charge at Gulzan.

The remaining members of the hero party immediately followed, closing in to surround Gulzan from all sides.

“Damn it! If I can't deal with those two, I can certainly deal with you ants!”

Driven to a shamed rage, Gulzan decided to clear the battlefield first.

A black-red ray condensed from 【Disintegration】 accurately struck the party's archer.

The archer didn't even have time to scream before his body instantly disintegrated into gray-black powder, vanishing completely into the air.

Seeing this, the party's assassin immediately activated 【Stealth】, his figure vanishing into the darkness as he attempted to circle around and strike Gulzan's vitals from behind.

But Gulzan flickered like a ghost, instantly appearing by the shadowy rock wall behind the assassin who had merged with the darkness.

Gulzan grinned sinisterly, his withered palm slamming onto the man's head as he channeled an inescapable forbidden magic.

【Power Word Kill】.

The assassin's pupils shrank, his heart stopped beating instantly, and he fell straight to the ground.

With two teammates dying in quick succession, Agger's eyes nearly split with rage. He gripped his giant axe, his eyes bloodshot as he charged forward like a madman.

“I'll kill you!!”

Having just killed two people, a hint of contempt flashed in Gulzan's eyes. He sneered at the leaping warrior, his third lethal spell already primed and ready.

Agger's pupils constricted as he clearly felt the chill of impending death.

But in the next second, another violent surge of mana swept in, forcibly pushing Agger aside and slamming him into the rock wall while simultaneously knocking Gulzan back several steps.

Ansu had activated 【Gravity Storm】 just in time, saving Agger.

“You again!!” Irritated, Gulzan pointed at Ansu and unleashed another 【Disintegration】.

The black-red light struck Ansu's chest in a flash.

The "Ansu" that was hit crumbled away. Immediately after, Ansu's real body teleported to the other side, leaving only a Magical Scarecrow where he had been standing.

Another precious life-saving item was completely shattered.

Gulzan stared at the scarecrow wearing a comical smiley-face mask, his expression becoming increasingly distorted.

The tragic deaths of his two teammates completely ignited the fury and hatred in Leon's heart. His divine power continued to surge, his sword light becoming even sharper as every move aimed directly at Gulzan's vitals.

Gulzan fell completely into a disadvantage.

He watched Leon and Ansu gloomily, using the complex terrain of the karst cave to dodge and flee.

For a moment, the two of them found it difficult to lock onto his position. The atmosphere on the battlefield suddenly fell silent, and only the clamor of the demihumans escaping in the distance could be heard.

Leon finally had a chance to speak.

The struggle in his heart was churning endlessly, and the expression with which he looked at Ansu grew increasingly complex.

“Morris, the things he said just now... were they true or false?”

“About... the fake Chosen One.”

Ansu glanced at him, his tone calm. “At this point, whether it's true or false is for you to judge.”

Leon's heart was already a mess.

He couldn't tell; he truly couldn't tell whether he was Gulzan or Leon.

If it were true... wouldn't he be nothing more than a vessel for that evil black mage to collect faith?

He simply could not accept such an absurd truth.

But all sorts of clues were laid out before him, and he couldn't help but believe...

With a face full of pain, Leon turned to Ansu for help again, his voice trembling.

“Morris, help me. I've always trusted you...”

Leon could sense that the other man was indeed a good person, so throughout their time together, he had come to truly acknowledge Morris from the bottom of his heart.

That was why he was willing to believe him.

Ansu looked at him and suddenly smiled. “I said, whether it's true or false is for you to judge. Destiny has always been in your own hands.”

Letting Leon think it through himself was far better than actively guiding him.

He would figure it out.

Because the Leon standing before him was, in a sense, truly not the same person as Gulzan. Leon had a real soul, with memories and emotions that belonged only to him.

He also truly believed that he was the Chosen One selected by the holy light. He sincerely wanted to protect the people and save the world.

This sense of justice etched into his very bones was never a lie.

From deep within the darkness, Gulzan's broken, hysterical roar suddenly echoed.

He could obviously hear the conversation between the two, and his emotions had completely spiraled out of control.

“Don't you understand yet? I created you! Your identity as the Chosen One is a total sham! If you kill me now, you'll vanish into thin air right along with me!”

“Now, I don't have time for nonsense with you! I'm going to recycle you, you fool!”

“The God-Making Project has been cut short! It's all your fault! But fortunately, it's not like I can't use half a vessel like you! Hahahaha!”

“Even as a demigod, I'm not someone you ants—you mortals—can stand against!”

Gulzan roared one moment and laughed manically the next, his voice leaving everyone stunned.

Agger stood frozen in place, while even Freya, who was far on the other side, stood on her tiptoes to look toward the plaza with a face full of worry.

Leon's movements came to a sudden halt. Immediately after, a faint light emanated from his body, and his silhouette gradually became transparent.

An irresistible divine call began to tug at his divine soul.

“I...”

“What is this...”

He slowly turned his head to look at Ansu.

Finally, he let out a bitter sigh.

“It seems what he said was true... Did you know all along?”

In this final moment, Leon's expression carried a hint of daze, for he didn't know what else he could do.

Ansu didn't deny it, remaining silent for a moment.

In truth, even if he hadn't said anything, Leon had likely guessed this cruel truth the moment Gulzan appeared.

He simply hadn't wanted to believe it.

Leon looked up toward the air and saw Gulzan emitting the same sacred light as himself, flying higher and higher.

“I'm a fake... So I really am a fake.” Leon's face was full of pain, his figure swaying. “Chosen One Leon... does not exist...”

Ansu suddenly laughed, stepped forward, and patted Leon on the shoulder.

“Brother, don't worry about whether it's true or false!”

“Huh?” Leon looked up, his eyes filled with confusion.

Ansu pointed to his own chest, where his heart was, and continued, “Just ask yourself, ask yourself honestly—should we defeat high priest Gulzan? Should we get rid of this menace?”

Leon didn't hesitate for a second. “Of course we should!”

“Then that's all that matters!” Ansu's expression was serious.

A righteous person chooses to do righteous things; that is how the world should be.

As for Gulzan—ironically, he hadn't even called Leon by name a single time. He had never truly acknowledged the life he had created.

In Gulzan's eyes, Leon did not exist.

Ansu turned to look at the towering rock wall, where Gulzan was slowly ascending. All the rock layers along the way were automatically moving aside for him.

Holy light bathed the earth, dispelling all darkness. At this moment, Gulzan truly looked like a deity of this world, as if he were returning to the divine realm where he belonged.

“He wants to merge with you and reclaim your power, but this is also when he's at his weakest and most defenseless!”

Ansu fixed his gaze on Leon. “The moment you and he begin to merge will be our best chance to defeat him!”

Leon took a deep breath and suddenly felt a sense of relief.

He realized that this might be the only value he had left in this world.

This time, he, Leon, was truly saving the world.

“Alright!” Leon looked deeply at Ansu and nodded. “I'll do it!”

Ansu's smile was genuine. “Thanks, brother!”

Leon suddenly grinned and joked, “You've already called me brother, so what else is there to say? I, Leon, will die on the path to saving the world if I must!”

He looked at Ansu and suddenly sighed with emotion.

“Morris, you're truly intelligent, and your talent and courage are both outstanding. Sigh... If only you were the Chosen One.”

Ansu smiled and said, “I am the Chosen One.”

At those words, Leon was stunned once more.

But at this point, perhaps nothing could surprise him anymore.

He was silent for a moment before laughing heartily as if he had just realized something. “I knew it! Fantastic! So you're the real Chosen One! This is... truly interesting!”

“Fine, Morris. I'll leave it to you, then. Help me fulfill my wish to save the world!”

Ansu looked at him and nodded solemnly.

“Of course.”

...